Share This Blog

A sad day for England … And the rest of us.

Brexit is one of the great mistakes of the 21st century with worldwide implications. A sad day for the UK, England, Europe and the world.

The last thing the world needs is more division among countries. England has changed it’s place in the world and limited the opportunities for its younger generation.

From world leader to tiny island with a tiny voice fighting for its role in a world economy; all mostly because of the fear of immigrants.

A lesson for us all about how much power uninformed, short-sighted people can have when they appeal to equally naive voters. Americans should remember that when they vote in November.

“There are “great similarities between what happened here and my campaign,” Trump said at a news conference at his Turnberry property, wearing a white “Make America Great Again” hat. “People want to take their country back.”

Some on the left are analyzing Brexit as purely economic; a rebellion about winners and losers in a global economy, inequality and all that. Not true. Brexit was about misguided nationalism and immigration. Several weeks ago I spoke with dozens of people in London; the great majority were in favor of leaving the EU and every one of them cited immigration as the reason. Based on the voting results that feeling was even worse in the countryside outside of London.

England had made itself a small fish in a big pond filled with sharks.

The European Union as it exists today is fundamentally flawed. Larry Summers, who knows a thing or two about economics, has stated, along with many other economists, that the attempt to have a common currency without central fiscal control does not work. The EU established the euro with their collective bureaucratic fingers crossed and breath held. Greece, Portugal and Spain will now likely leave. It will result in short term pain, and long term gain.

Regarding cultural issues, the majority of UK citizens believe that the sovereignty of their country has been eroded by unelected officials in Brussels.

An important foundation of conservatism is the notion of subsidiarity, the fancy name for the idea that the lowest level of government possible and practical should address political and social issues. Left wing ideologues instead want authority vested in large centralized “rational” centers.

This will turn out to be a great day for the idea of representative government responsible to the people who elected them.

Yes, it will cause short term chaos in the markets. Major improvements do that sometimes.

I think it is more than immigration. Job opportunities might have a large part to do with it. In 1983 I visited London and in 2014 I went to Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium and all the elder European tourist visiting those countries I was in had one thing in common, then and now, national pride. Kind of what you see on TV during their football (soccer) matches.

The EU has taken away national identity, burred boarders, promoted EU socialism, everybody is equal, follow our rules from Brussels or face sanctions.

The British maintained some national identity by never giving up the British Pound.

America had the same problem. During the Civil War, armies fought not so much for the North and South but for the pride of their States. Lee commanded the Army of Northern Virginia. Most of the regiments from both the North and South were named from the states they came from. Until the end of the Civil War, States rights were more important than what was in the best interest of the United States.

Although the American Army fought several wars before and after the Civil War, I am just guessing that World War II erased any thought of fighting for a State but for America.

All of the US free trade agreements, which are good for businesses and in theory good for Americans, have not been as promised. The free trade deals raised the standard of living in the poor nations and lowered ours by allowing businesses to find the cheapest labor. To complete in the world markets, all wages and benefits have to go the level of lowest paid worker from whatever country they are from. Why do you think manufacturing jobs left America? I am sure the same thing happen in Europe.

Yes I know that there are some benefits to free trade, like lower prices, but if you lose your job, it doesn’t matter.

Do I think it was good for Europe? No. But I do think that the union was not equal and weaker nations were hurting the stronger nations and I think you’ll see more votes unless the EU changes its ways.

Actually, the economic concerns are more consistent with Bernie Sanders than Donald Trump. The population’s top concerns are the same “left behind” message Bernie spouts – wealth concentration among the 10% or so of the population that lives in and around London. So, yes, Londoners are concerned about the impact of immigration … because of their specific position. People elsewhere in England have other concerns that are obvious to others in the European Union (bailouts of Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, etc.)